Yars' Revenge

An insect hero, a mysterious neutral zone, and a comic packed right in the box, Yars' Revenge in 1982 was anything but a run-of-the-mill shooter. And yet, or perhaps precisely because of that, it became the best-selling original title on the Atari 2600.

In the game from the workshop of Howard Scott Warshaw you control Yar, an insect being that must gnaw through the enemy's defensive barrier and destroy it with a powerful shot. A key role is played by the so-called neutral zone, a strip in the middle of the screen where Yar is safe from fire, but where, on the other hand, it cannot hide indefinitely. This mechanic gave the game a distinctive rhythm and tactical depth that few shooters of the time had.

Yars' Revenge was also remarkable visually. Colorful, animated, and with the characteristic shimmering texture of the neutral zone, it felt livelier than most of the competition of the era. As an unlicensed, purely original idea, it also proved that there was still room for fresh ideas on an established console.

The marketing side is interesting too. In the game's packaging was an included comic that explained the story of Yar and his revenge. It was an early effort at transmedia storytelling, where the game lived not only on the screen but also on paper, building its own mythology around itself long before that became common practice.

On the Atari 2600, Yars' Revenge belongs to the best that the console offered, an original concept, brisk action, and a distinctive style in one. It is proof that creativity can beat even much more expensive licensed titles.

Why play: The best-selling original game on the Atari 2600, a distinctive shooter with a clever mechanic and a style worth discovering to this day.